Marine bio-solutions · Grindsted & Aarhus, DK

Invasive crabs, turned into circular marine protein.

The European shore crab has overrun Nordic coastlines for three decades. Decameal harvests that ecological burden and extracts it into high-value, fully traceable feed ingredients — protein for aquaculture, pet food and poultry, with astaxanthin, calcium and chitin recovered from the shell.

Partner with us Model the impact
Backed by Delphinus Venture Capital · Rockstart · Aller Aqua · Innovation Fund Denmark
Batch DK-0417 · traceability Sourced & verified
Carcinus maenas · European shore crab
Small-scale coastal fishery · West Jutland
Crab Mealprotein flour · feed grade
>43% protein
Crab Concentrateprotein + lipid concentrate
>55% protein
DecaRedshell fraction · astaxanthin
chitin + Ca
Chain of custody logged · coast → pilot line → documented quality
>55%
protein in the crab concentrate fraction
€2.1M+
grant & pre-seed capital deployed, plus a 2026 Seed round
30yr
shore-crab invasion Decameal turns into value
3
ingredient streams from one circular process
How it works

An ecological problem, engineered into a supply chain.

No wild-caught fishmeal, no farmed input. Just an overabundant invasive species, sourced responsibly and separated into its most valuable parts.

STEP 01

Harvest the burden

We source overpopulated European shore crab from small-scale coastal fisheries — relieving pressure on Nordic marine ecosystems as we go.

STEP 02

Patent-pending extraction

Our pilot line separates each crab into protein flour, a protein-lipid concentrate, and a shell fraction rich in astaxanthin, calcium and chitin.

STEP 03

Documented ingredients

Every stream ships with quality, traceability and climate documentation — ready for aquaculture, pet food and organic poultry formulators.

Circular impact model

See what a crab harvest becomes.

Set an annual volume of invasive shore crab and a product focus. The model estimates the feed ingredients recovered and the ecological footprint displaced. Illustrative only — real yields are documented per batch.

Harvest inputs

Adjust the volume and where the process is tuned.
Invasive shore crab processed1,200 t / yr
Process focus
Replacing in the feed formula
Avg. crab weight harvested45 g
Marine ingredient recovered
252tonnes / yr
≈ 108 t of feed-grade protein delivered
Crab Meal Concentrate DecaRed shell
Fishmeal displaced
252 t
wild-caught marine protein spared
CO₂e avoided
454 t
vs the input it replaces
Crabs removed
26.7M
off Nordic coastlines / yr
Astaxanthin fraction
120 t
shell recovered for DecaRed
Discuss a supply agreement
Illustrative circular-impact model for demonstration — not a supply guarantee or verified LCA. Decameal documents quality, traceability and climate impact per production batch.
The ingredients

One crab, three high-value streams.

Nothing is wasted. Each fraction is separated, documented and matched to the industry that values it most.

Crab Meal

Protein flour

A feed-grade protein flour with natural chitin and pigment — a circular alternative to wild-caught fishmeal for poultry and aquaculture.

>43% proteinnatural chitinastaxanthincalcium
Crab Concentrate

Protein + lipid

A concentrated protein-and-lipid fraction engineered for superior palatability — a premium input for aquafeed and pet food formulators.

>55% protein>15% lipidshigh palatability
DecaRed

Shell fraction

The shell stream, recovered rather than discarded — the source of astaxanthin, calcium and chitin destined for higher-value nutritional and industrial markets.

astaxanthincalciumchitin / chitosan

Traceable by design

Chain-of-custody from the coastal fishery to the finished ingredient — auditable quality and provenance on every batch.

Restorative sourcing

Every tonne processed is a tonne of invasive biomass removed — feed production that actively repairs marine ecosystems.

Truly circular

Protein, lipids and shell are all captured and valorised — a zero-waste process built for the bio-economy.

Documented climate impact

Quality, traceability and carbon documentation strengthened with our latest funding — evidence, not claims.

Backed to scale

Delphinus VC, Rockstart and strategic co-investor Aller Aqua are behind expanding the supplier network and extraction capacity.

Science-grounded

Developed with DTU and Aller Aqua through the CRABEX programme and the EIT Food Accelerator Network.

Our story
“We are hitting a super important place in the development of bio-solutions, where we combine sustainability with solid business.”
Leander Hessner · Co-founder & CEO, Decameal

Started by two Aarhus University biologists out of a bio-entrepreneurship course, Decameal is now a funded marine bio-solutions company with a pilot line in Grindsted and labs in Aarhus.

Backed & partnered by
Delphinus Venture CapitalRockstartAller AquaInnovation Fund DenmarkEIFODTUEIT Food
Work with Decameal

Circular marine protein, ready to formulate with.

Whether you formulate aquafeed, pet food or organic poultry rations — or you fish the Nordic coast — let’s talk samples, specs and supply.

Request a sample Become a crab supplier
Independent concept for Decameal — designed by Shubh Lamba